Sustainable Fashion Festival

#CamSustainableFashionFest

Clothing accounts for around 12% of global greenhouse emissions and is the world’s second largest industrial polluter. People often think of fashion as a frivolous affair, but carefully choosing what we wear could make a big difference to tackling the climate crisis and other environmental problems. Fast fashions 'race to the bottom' is too often leading to the exploitation of workers and natural systems. In Kazakhstan for example, virtually the entire Aral Sea that was once full of fish and supported a thriving fishing community has all but disappeared to satisfy cotton’s thirst for water.

But here’s the good news. Cambridge Carbon Footprint, along with sustainable clothing pioneers Mamoq and AmaElla are organising Cambridge’s first Sustainable Fashion Festival and it’s set to be amazing. Explore clothes that grow with you, dresses to swap, natural luxury wear, vintage clothes and a pop-up market with fashionable Christmas gifts. Surprising gifts might include socks with lifetime guarantees and shirts the seller promises to fix forever!

"Buy less, choose well, make it last", is the motto for the day, and we have a programme packed full of workshops, talks, stalls and activities to help you make it yours too. Finding your style is a big step towards having a more eco-friendly wardrobe, but so is caring for your clothes. The Cambridge Sustainable Fashion Festival will help you do both. Check out the full programme below!

Programme

Pop-up Market*

A vibrant market place featuring some of the best sustainable fashion and accessory brands. New clothes, vintage and upcycled. Advice and information stalls too.

Styling workshops hosted by Roberta Style Lee

Roberta believes that finding your own style is one of the keys to buying less and looking after the planet whilst still looking great. Workshops include: ‘Body shape and colour analysis’, ‘Creating you signature style’ and ‘Building your capsule wardrobe’. Roberta is also the founder of the Ethical Brand Directory who’ll be there.

Panel discussion: Fashion the Future

A panel discussion featuring some of the leading lights from the sustainable fashion movement. The focus will be on sharing stories of incredible innovation, leadership and good news stories from an evolving world of fashion. The founders of Petit Pli, AmaElla and Momoq are our guests. There will be time to ask questions and meet the speakers.

Art and cake!

Enjoy an all-day café serving WI homemade cakes whilst partaking in a creative piece being hosted by Kettle’s Yard and inspired by their current exhibition featuring the American artist Pousette-Dart.

Women’s Wear Clothes Swapping Party

Swap some unloved clothes for ones that are new to you! Drop off at 11am, swapping starts at 11:30am and ends at 12:30pm. We recommended bringing along 2 -6 items. Accessories and shoes welcome too.

Sewing themed Repair Café and Sewing Skillshare

Repair Cafes match people with broken and worn items with people who can fix them. Do you have socks with holes, broken zips, jeans that need taking up, tears in your shirts, duvets that need new poppers, jumpers with worn elbows? We can help. It’s best to book your item in by filling in the form here . You can drop by, but may have to wait. The skillshare is a drop-in at which you’ll receive friendly 1:1 help with starting, or improving on, your sewing skills.

Upcycling workshops

Create your own Christmas jumper for school, work, college or Christmas dinner. Bring your own jumper to get creative with - decorations on us!

*Due to unforeseen circumstances the fashion show planned alongside the market has been cancelled.

Free event - no booking required*

*except for style workshops

Styling workshops - with Roberta Style Lee

London based Roberta Style Lee will host three brilliant sessions during the event: Body shape and colour analysis; Creating your signature style and Creating a capsule wardrobe (each needs to be booked individually). Roberta states that ‘My goal has always been to empower women to be the best version of themselves from the inside out – and do it in a socially and environmentally responsible way.'

Body Shape & Colour Analysis Workshop
11am - 12pm
£5 booking required

This workshop will help you identify a wardrobe palette that will enhance your natural colouring and explore forms, lines, fabrics and cuts to make you feel and look your best.

Do you dream about always having an outfit on that you love wearing? Wish you had more space at home and could find your clothes more easily? Creating a capsule wardrobe may be just be just the thing for you.

About

Circular Cambridge is a project of Cambridge Carbon Footprint, a small local charity concerned with climate change. Our aim is to help people work together creatively to make real reductions in their CO2 emissions.